Antimicrobial charged polymers that exhibit resistance to lysosomal degradation during kidney filtration and renal passage, compositions and method of use thereof

Abstract

Methods and compositions for treating or preventing microbial infection in mammals with sulfated polysaccharides wherein the polysaccharides have a degree of sulfation effective to enable maximal interaction of constituent sulfate groups with the microbe which causes the infection and wherein the sulfated polysaccharide is not substantially endocytosed or degraded by cell receptor binding in the mammal and thereby retains antimicrobial activity in vivo.

1 . A method of treating or preventing a viral infection in a human comprising administering to a human in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a sulfated polysaccharide having a percent of sulfur above 6% and below 13% and a molecular weight of above 5,000 g/mol and wherein the infection is caused by an enveloped virus that is not a herpes virus.  
     
     
         2 - 7 . (canceled)  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the viral infection is caused by an RNA virus.  
     
     
         9 . (canceled)  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the RNA virus is a double-stranded RNA virus, negative-sense single stranded RNA virus, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, or an ambisense RNA virus.  
     
     
         11 - 25 . (canceled)  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sulfated polysaccharide is a co-charged anionic polysaccharide.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the co-charged anionic polysaccharide is co-charged with carboxymethyl groups, sulfonate groups or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the viral infection is a retrovirus infection.  
     
     
         29 - 40 . (canceled)  
     
     
         41 . A method of treating or preventing a viral infection in a human comprising administering to a human in need thereof a therapeutically or prophylactically acceptable amount of a sulfated dextran having a percent of sulfur between above 6% and below 13%, wherein said infection is caused by an enveloped virus.  
     
     
         42 - 47 . (canceled)  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the dextran sulfate is co-charged with carboxymethyl groups a combination thereof.  
     
     
         49 . (canceled)  
     
     
         50 . (canceled)  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the viral infection is caused by an RNA virus.  
     
     
         52 . (canceled)  
     
     
         53 . (canceled)  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the RNA virus is a double-stranded RNA virus, a negative-sense single stranded RNA virus, a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus, or an ambisense RNA virus.  
     
     
         55 - 78 . (canceled)  
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount is from about 0.001 to 200 mg/kg per day.  
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 79  wherein the therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of the polysaccharide is from about 0.005 to 100 mg/kg per day.  
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of the sulfated polysaccharide is from about 0.1 mg/kg/day to about 1,500 mg/kg/day.  
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the human is an immunocompromised human.  
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of the sulfated polysaccharide is administered parenterally.  
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of the sulfated polysaccharide is administered orally.  
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the therapeutically or prophylactically effective amount of the sulfated polysaccharide is administered topically.  
     
     
         86 - 92 . (canceled)  
     
     
         93 . A method of treating or preventing a viral infection in a human comprising administering to a human in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of an anionic polysaccharide, wherein the infection is caused by an enveloped virus, and wherein said anionic polysaccharide comprises a plurality of chemically different groups.  
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein said groups are carboxymethyl groups, sulfonate groups, or sulfate groups, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein said anionic polysaccharide is carboxymethyl dextran sulfate or carboxymethyl cellulose sulfate.